Prismacolor Shadows
by NeoNails
Summary: Seven colors, seven drabbles. Teal: She was being irrational, clearly. But the fact of the matter was, that knowledge was not doing jack to get her out from in front of the mirror and out the door.
1. Red

I know it's idiotic to start another set of _Batman Beyond_ drabbles, but I get really bored in my classes, so this spawned, XD I felt like doing something short, so there will only be seven drabbles, following the colors of the rainbow.

Yeah, I know, I'm a moron.

Everything will be short, and hopefully I'll get through them somewhat quickly, so there'll something to look forward from me as I continue to search for a new songshot for _In Between the Lines_.

$4$

_We took our chance out on the street  
__And I missed my chance and chances are  
__It won't be comin' back to me_

- "Desperately," by Michelle Branch

**

* * *

**

**Red.**

At the funeral, everyone's there.

Not just his friends and former/current coworkers from Wayne-Powers. The whole old JLU is there, along with all the current JLU members, and then there's Wonder Woman, and Superman, and Lucius Fox, and she could _swear_ she saw a portly old man that looked just like the Penguin…

There all there for him, old and new alike.

And they're all wearing black.

Max lingers in the back, shifting from foot to foot in smart heels. Yes, she knew Wayne pretty well in the last decade, possibly better than half the people here, but she had made her peace with him already. She'd be lying to Wayne if she kidded herself into thinking he was the reason why she was there.

And she didn't lie to Wayne.

"So where's the kid?"

Max glances at the woman standing next to her. She's old, probably as old as Wayne, give or take a few years. Her actual age is hard to peg, because her long silver hair added on a few years, but her clear, sharp eyes were reminiscent of a much younger woman hiding under the beautifully aged skin.

"He's here," Max says, not bothering to feign ignorance. She's standing in a graveyard full of superheroes; there are no secrets today.

The woman tilts her head, brushing platinum bangs out of her face. "He loved the kid," she says, keeping her tone conversational. "More than the sidekicks, even. That kid was always his son, regardless of DNA."

Max hadn't cried the whole day, Hell, she hadn't cried the whole horrendous month, but hearing her words made Max's eyes mist over.

"You can't let this affect his job."

She looks up sharply, staring into the woman's strong green eyes. "The kid needed him, yes," she continues. "But Gotham needs _him_ more. You're all that's left to keep him from giving up the job completely."

Max opens her mouth, ready to argue and point out the gorgeous petite Asian woman clutching Terry's arm in comfort. Before she can, the woman slides on a pair of sleek, expensive-looking sunglasses, flashes a quick, wry smile, and adds, "The flowers are from me."

She turns and disappears into the crowd, and Max looks back at the funeral. Everyone sent flowers, but Max knows instinctively what the woman meant.

Only one bouquet was sent to the house. Bright, vibrant tiger lilies in a simple metal vase with the handwritten tag, _Love Forever, Isis._

The crowd begins to part as Terry makes his way back to the car with Dana in tow. He's crying, but his head is held high and he seems to seek her eyes out in the crowd. A look of understanding passes between them, and she can feel tears slowly beginning to well in her eyes.

Everyone at the funeral is in black.

Terry and Max wear red.

$4$

I thought this was a decent little drabble, and it gave me a pretty good opportunity to play with one of my favorite original Batman villains. ;) If you squint, you could almost consider this a prequel-shot to _In Between the Lines_' "I Do Not Hook Up." It's almost scary how much it fits, now that I'm thinking about it, because it wasn't intended that way at all.

The next color will be, for those of you that don't remember the childhood pneumonic of Roy G. Biv, Orange.

Not every drabble will be Terry/Max, though, It is my go-to couple, so probably a majority will be Terry/Max, but you'll probably see Brucie and Dana and possibly even Melanie and Mary/Matt thrown in there.

Who knows?

(I sure don't.)


	2. Orange

I didn't have much in mind when I started this drabble, but as I wrote I realized at very least I could stretch my nerd muscles and make some various random Batman references.

At this point, I just feel like amusing myself, even if I'm the only one that gets the joke. XD

$4$

_Listen up now, honey, you're gonna be sorry  
__I can't get out from under a sky that is falling_

- "Vegas," by Sara Bareilles

**

* * *

**

**Orange.**

It was his favorite part about working.

The hours were a bitch and the constant bruises and cuts and (though rare) broken bones were damn near impossible to explain away, but at the end of the night, this made it all worth it.

Terry never considered himself to be a simple man, but as he got older and older, he realized it was the little things that kept him from completely losing his mind.

He loved the old Clock Tower the most. It was in bad shape from way back when the earthquake happened and Gotham caught on that catchy nickname of No Man's Land. The Clock Tower was never renovated or rebuilt, just like the old Arkham Asylum- it was left behind, forgotten in the never-ending urge to create newer and newer technology.

From the Clock Tower, he could see all of Gotham City, stretched out across the gleaming buildings and sporadic parks, dotted with cars and pedestrians, even at the early hour. It wasn't on par with any other city in the nation- it was a living, breathing entity, never sleeping or resting, always moving and thriving and never stopping. The world around them could be crumbling- and there had been more than a few close calls- and Gotham would go on, never pausing for a second.

God, he loved Gotham.

It was the worst city in the world- even with him working almost constantly, the crime rate almost never went down, the people were almost all callous and cold, and the press spent almost all of their time alternately praising or tearing him down.

Gotham is ruthless, power-hungry, crazy, and terrifying. It's also his home, and the only place to have produced some of the best heroes (and a couple villains) in the nation, a majority of whom had no actual 'powers.'

When his job was done for the night- because it was never truly _done_- he would go to the Clock Tower and sit. There, he could turn off his comlink and think about the night's events or just life in general and watch his city. The sky would begin to morph as he stared out, inky black turning over into purples and the purest shade of orange he'd ever seen. It was that pure color that made his day worth it. After horrible nights and witnessing too many ugly things, seeing the sky turn back to its original splendor always renewed him with a sense of hope for the unknown.

It didn't matter how bad the night had been- when he sat on top of the Clock Tower and watched the sun rise across his city, it was always worth it.

$4$

I liked it. Sorry if it was a little repetitive, but I just thought it flowed better this way.

Luckily, Yellow should be finished a hell of a lot sooner, because I already have 75-percent of it finished in a notebook. I just have to copy it to a Word doc and write the last few sentences. :)


	3. Yellow

_You've seen a lot of things  
__You're the keeper of many dreams, and  
__You got everything it takes  
__To stay strong, carry on_

- "Good Girl," by Zoegirl

**

* * *

**

**Yellow.**

When Max was little, yellow used to be her favorite color in the whole world.

Not anymore.

When she was little, yellow was sunshine and canaries, bright skies and happy smiles. Yellow was cheerful, loud and vibrant and obnoxious with a punch of color that could make anyone's day a little better.

Not anymore.

When she was little, her biggest hero in the world was her sister, who was four years older and brave and strong and was never afraid to venture out of the apartment when Max was terrified. Her sister had super-powers, able to argue with their parents and flirt with boys and be the coolest person ever.

Not anymore.

When she was little, her parents were perfect, loving and gentle and always proud of Max and her sister. They were happy and would go to see her sister's soccer games on Saturdays and make pancakes and bacon on Sundays. They would help her with her homework and praise her sister's ability to cook (by 10, she mastered the ability to make most breakfast foods alone). Her parents were just all-around great parents.

Not anymore.

Max isn't little anymore. She's technically an adult, finding her way through college and new boyfriends and of course a job that she can never put on any résumé but loves more than anything in this world. She studies technology and computers and binary code during school, and after she's quizzed on villains and their corresponding rap sheets. During the day she spends time with friends and goes on occasional dates, but at night she shares her bed with her best friend, coworker, lover…

Her parents are divorced and never home.

Her sister goes through boyfriends like tissue paper, dropped out of college, and insists on living on the opposite side of the country.

Her favorite color is no longer yellow.

Her parents now consist of one crotchety old man, who spends his time glaring at her when he's not condemning her for screwing up something else. He epitomizes grumpiness and lives almost permanently in his ancient house with his equally old and grumpy dog.

But she loves him.

Her hero now consists of her best friend, the one that sleeps through most of their classes and goes out and fights the resident crazies of Gotham city at night. He's also the one that she spends all her waking _and_ sleeping hours with, and as a result can piss her off faster than anyone she's ever met. She lost her virginity to him, she's gotten into physical fist fights with him, and she's fairly certain she could spend the rest of her life with him very easily if she's not careful.

But she loves him.

Her favorite color now consists of just about anything. She doesn't like yellow, or pink, or red, or blue, but she loves the color the sky just before dawn and the color Terry's eyes flash when he smiles, or the color of the Batsuit against the dark cityscape that is Gotham. These are her favorite colors, the ones that she can't put a name to, but steal her breath away every time.

And she loves them.

$4$

Here ya go. It's just as painfully short as the last one, but these _are_ supposed to be drabbles, even if I hate writing really short stories.

I like writing introspective Max fics (in case you haven't noticed XD), and her family is a really interesting topic for me.

Next will be Green, but don't worry, I promise it won't be another Mac ficlet- in fact, I can pretty much guarantee you won't be expecting this one. ;)


	4. Green

Sorry it took me a little while to bust this one out. I had another version of it started, only from Selina's point of view, but it didn't work out because I lost the file and then I lost interest so during class (because I'm _such_ a good student…) I started doing 100-word challenges with _Batman Beyond_ characters and stumbled upon this beauty.

It's obviously the shortest (and the only one that truly qualifies as a 'drabble') with 103 words, but I do really like it.

(And anyone that has even seen _Batman Returns_ should hopefully understand the nerdy reference I made by quoting this song ;P)

$4$

_Face to face  
__My lovely foe  
__Mouth to mouth  
__Reigning heavens blow_

- "Face to Face," by Siouxsie and the Banshees

**

* * *

**

**Green.**

There was Barbara, Lois, Andrea, Kathy, and, of course, Talia…

Terry was young, but he had been in some form of a relationship with that girl, Dana, for almost a year. Terry wasn't like him, especially when it came to relationships.

Bruce had never kept serious relationships for long. The only woman he ever thought to keep around was more fickle than him.

He missed her bright green eyes, missed her laugh, missed her slightly crazed personality, missed _her_.

She was his match, and they complemented each other better than anyone else on this earth.

Selina Kyle was the only one that mattered.

$4$

I may be non-canon with _Batman Beyond_, but as far as I'm concerned I am a _major_ stickler for Bruce/Selina. I never write fanfiction for them, so it was nice to write this little thing, even if it's nothing compared to how much I usually write.

Oh, and for anyone that's wondering, Andrea is the woman that became Phantasm, and Kathy is one of the three women that wore the Batwoman costumes in the movie. No, I did not remember those names off the top of my head (I had to look them up to double-check XD).


	5. Blue

_Beyond the boundaries of your city's lights  
__Stand the heroes waiting for your cries  
__So many times you did not bring this on yourself  
__When that moment finally comes, they'll be there to help_

- "Citizen Soldier," by 3 Doors Down

* * *

**Blue.**

"I just don't understand how you got that mark."

Terry winced, eyes briefly sliding shut as he set his try on the table. They were outside during lunch, one of those rare days in March where the sun was shining and the birds were chirping and all that was needed was a light jacket, if anything.

Across the table, Max set down her try and made eye contact, silently asking the old question they had gone through so many times before.

"What can I say? Mornings are hell," he said, breaking eye contact with Max long enough to flash Dana a comforting- and hopefully charming- smile. "I was half asleep and walked right into the bathroom door."

Max snorted softly, cracking open her can of soda and looking away. Dana glanced at her, eyes clouded with confusion and concern. "I just find it hard to believe that you got a black eye from walking into a _door._"

Terry slid into his seat, forcing a wry smile. "How else do you think I got it?"

She hesitated, and that brief pause broadcasted more volumes than anything she could have said.

"After everything that happened between you and Charlie Bigelow I'm just… worried."

Terry bristled. He didn't mean to, but it happened naturally after so many years of living down the old reputation.

"I broke ties with Charlie a long time ago," Terry said, his voice hard and cold.

Dana's dark almond eyes went wide and he saw a flash of hurt a split second before a mask of anger covered her face and she stood up and stormed off.

There was a heavy beat of silence, and then Max whistled, long and low. "You know, with charm like that, it's a wonder you don't have more girlfriends," Max quipped, taking a drink of her soda. "Nice job."

He sighed heavily, setting his arms on the table and letting his head fall on his forearms.

"It's your own damned fault," she continued, undeterred. "I know she was pushing the line by implying that you were _actually_ back to being a bad kid, but that didn't mean you had to go and prove her right by being a huge prick."

He just groaned, burying his head further in his arms.

"And if we're going to follow this it's-your-fault vein, if you had been paying attention in the first place you wouldn't be all black and blue."

Terry picked his head up long enough to shoot Max a dirty look and replied, "That little old lady thought I was one of the _Jokerz_."

"So what?" Max said. "That okayed her beaning you with her purse?"

He propped his chin up on his arms, tired. "She didn't _bean_ me, and I didn't let her. I just didn't want to hurt her."

Max studied him for a long moment of the rim of her can.

"Pansy."

$4$

Sorry for taking so long to update, guys. I've had this finished in a notebook for some time, but I just felt the urge to finally copy it to a Word doc tonight. XD I know, I'm lazy.

I was mostly inspired for Terry's (totally embarrassing) injury from one of **Kyoko's** old fics, _Bandaids_. It's a damned good oneshot- well, she's just a damned good _BB_ writer- and I always appreciated the old-lady-gone-rogue joke so I decided to pay homage. ;)


	6. Indigo

I appear to be on quite a _BB_ kick as of late- not that I'm complaining, because (as I _know_ I've mentioned on several occasions) this _is_ the fandom that first introduced me to the lovely and addicting world of ff, and thus will always have a special place in my heart. :)

But, yet again, this started as one of those 100-word drabbles that I do when I'm bored and in class, and I loved this idea so much that I had to expand on it, and then (about halfway through) decided I could squeeze this _somehow_ into my next chapter for _Prismacolor Shadows_.

I really like this idea, and it's something that I haven't really touched upon before. Typically, stuff I write about in _BB_ either follows the _BB_ timeline or is somewhere far off, when they're adults. Seeing as how I'm getting older, I figured it was only fair to see how I handled them as fellow college students. ;)

Oh, and as a forewarning- there's minor Superman-bashing. Not a lot, but I just couldn't help myself. XD

$4$

_Love's strange, so real in the dark  
__Think of the tender things that we were working on  
__Slow change may pull us apart  
__When the light gets into your heart, baby_

- "Don't You Forget About Me," by Simple Minds

**

* * *

**

**Indigo.**

"I don't think you should live so far away. You should come back."

Max grinned at her laptop, watching as the clear live video of Terry looked miserable, even from all the way in Gotham on his laptop. "There is nothing you can say to make me leave MIT, McGinnis," she said.

"But you're so far away!" he whined, incorrigible as ever.

She laughed. "It's only a couple of hours away. Stop being such a damned baby!"

Max's roommate, Jackie, walked into their room then, bringing with her two of their guy friends, Tom and Greg.

"But I don't like taking classes without you being here to help me with my notes!"

Max quickly said hey to her friends, and then focused her gaze back on the screen, frowning. "I didn't _help_ you with notes," she said. "You _copied_ my notes!"

Terry threw up his hands in the air. "_Exactly!_"

Tom walked over to her bed, where she sat crossed-legged, laptop in front of her. His dark blue eyes were twinkling as he said, "Hey gorgeous. Who are you talking to? Your dad?" He peeked over to glance at the laptop's screen.

Unfortunately, Terry had heard him, and said, "Gorgeous? What dreg is over there calling you gorgeous?"

Max winced, glancing at Tom. Turning her laptop to face him, she said, "Tom, this is my best friend, Terry. Terry, this is my friend, Tom."

There was a beat of silence, and Max bit her lip, praying that Terry didn't say anything stupid.

"So what are your intentions towards Max?"

She whipped her head around, eyes widening dramatically as she shot Terry a death glare through the two laptops. "Terry-!"

"And in case you were wondering, your answer to my question had better be 'none,'" he continued shortly.

Max's mouth thinned to a firm line at the threat, a heavy blush staining her dark cheeks. "_Terry_," she said through gritted teeth, giving him her best I'm-going-to-hunt-you-down-and-_gut_-you stare.

"It's all right, Max," Tom said, putting his hand on her arm and grinning good-naturedly. "So what's it like to be living in Gotham? Is it as friggin' terrifying as it sounds?"

She froze, staring up at Tom, confused. Did he just completely ignore Terry? Oh, Jesus…

"Personally, I couldn't do it. I'd be just as afraid of that Batman guy as the rest of the city," Tom continued, still smiling and relaxed.

How was he doing that?

"Gotham is a good place," Terry said, his voice even harsher than before. "And Batman is and always will be a symbol of hope in our city."

Max turned back to the laptop, narrowing her eyes. Tom was _not_ trying to be a jackass- however, Terry was more than making up for him.

Tom laughed, totally oblivious (or maybe perfectly aware). "He's certainly a badass symbol, I gotta admit," he said. "And I'd rather have him than old Superman and his supernerd kids."

Wait- was that a smirk? Max stared at the screen, studying Terry's slightly grainy expression.

"Superman's not tough enough to take care of Gotham," Terry said grudgingly, but almost all the hostility was gone from his voice.

"That's why he's perfect for Metropolis," Tom said, laughing again. "They're boring and do-gooder together."

Holy hell, Batman, Terry was _smiling_. Max opened her mouth- to say what, she wasn't sure- but Terry responded before she could.

"That's why I'll always love Gotham," he said with a wistful smile. "We've got someone to protect us without it having to define us."

Max felt a warm sensation slide through her veins like melted butter and she smiled when she realized it was pride. She was proud Terry was handling this, getting used to her no longer living 15 minutes away (more like 5 hours, now) and (more importantly) getting used to her having new friends.

New _guy_ friends.

Tom wasn't anything like Terry, and vice versa, but at least they had found some middle ground.

And, really, that was all Max could ever ask for.

$4$

I guess how I incorporated **Indigo **isn't as obvious compared to other chapters, but I like this enough that I think it works nicely. Given my own experiences in this arena, I thought I managed to make it pretty realistic, even though I know (yet again) it's painfully short.

I apologize to those of you who really, really like Superman, by the way. I have nothing against him, of course… Batman's just _waaay_ more awesome. ;)

**Violet** will be the last color to go, but I was thinking about it and depending on my muse I may add **Black** and **White**, but after **Violet** I'm going to mark this as complete, and just add chapters as I go.


	7. Violet

I've been looking for a color to include this general plotline in for a while, and finally I just decided to use this as my last drabble because it was too good of a plot to pass up. I think I managed to do it justice, which is really all I can ever ask for anymore. XD

And I think a couple people mentioned it (**Kyoko** did for sure ;) ), but I decided that I _will_ keep adding colors when I feel like it, because I have like the most perfect idea for **Black** and I really can't pass it up at this point.

I'm just too addicted. :)

$4$

_Every night you cry yourself to sleep  
__Thinkin', Why does this happen to me?  
__Why does every moment have to be so hard?_

- "Won't Go Home Without You," by Maroon 5

**

* * *

**

**Violet.**

It took Dana a long time to get used to it.

She _still_ wasn't truly used to it, in the sense that she found any of this normal, but she no longer spent all of her nights staring up at the ceiling, wondering fearfully what Terry could be doing right that second.

When she first found out, Dana absolutely hated the mask. She really didn't know much about what he did- she just knew it put him in danger.

She remembered vividly remembered Batman rescuing her from that creepy rat kid in the sewers, and she was always grateful to him for that. She knew what he was going was worthwhile- in a way, he was saving Gotham, one mugging at a time.

But that didn't mean she wanted her boyfriend to go out and risk his life every night.

She didn't tell him as much, but he knew she hated it. That didn't stop him, though- Dana doubted if there was anything that ever would make him stop.

It was a game they played- they got back from work, ate dinner, went to bed, then he would fake sleep for an hour, slip out of bed, change into the costume and leave.

And all the while, she would fake sleep and pretend as though never knew he was sneaking out of the house.

It was killing their relationship, she realized one night as he silently slid into bed around 4 a.m. (must've been a bad night). She didn't want to be selfish, but she knew then that she couldn't handle being a 'superhero's' girlfriend.

She wasn't strong enough.

One night, she couldn't stay in the apartment- she had to get up, move, do _something_ instead of just lying there, thinking about Terry and the costume and that ugly mask. She threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, her well-worn boots, along with a jacket and purse.

She didn't go anywhere at first, content to wander the dark, empty streets with no particular destination in mind.

It would be easier if she and Terry broke up, Dana decided as she crossed the block into Old Gotham. She obviously would keep the secret to the grave, even if they started dating (or married) other people.

She wasn't a bad person, she reasoned. She just knew she couldn't stand to be that girlfriend that stayed up every night, waiting for her boyfriend to- hopefully- come back in one piece.

She walked down the streets and into the seedier parts of Old Gotham, and in the back of her mind she knew she was getting closer to Crime Alley. Bruce Wayne- Terry's former boss, and now current partner at Wayne-Powers- kept Crime Alley from being destroyed by bigger and (in her opinion) better buildings.

She wondered if Mr. Wayne knew that Terry was Batman. Probably not.

She stopped in the middle of the street, amazed to find Terry standing not that far ahead.

It wasn't _actually_ Terry- he was wearing the costume- but he was just standing there. Not fighting anyone, or risking his life, or doing any number of the usual idiotic things he did while wearing the mask.

Dana watched silently as he set a white carnation on the ground, crouching to touch the grimy cement with his fingertips. There was something strangely intimate about the gesture, and Dana felt her heart clench painfully in her chest in response.

"He can't be here anymore," Terry said, voice low but just loud enough for it to carry so she could barely make it out, "But he always thinks about you, just like I always think about my dad. We did this for you."

She couldn't see his face, just the shadow of his figure and what little soft lilac color reflected off his profile from the bright violet neon lights across the street. Even without being able to see him, Dana knew what Terry looked like- it was the same expression he wore every year he visited Warren's grave on his birthday.

In that moment, Dana understood why Terry took on this never-ending job. He wasn't doing it for himself, but for everyone else. It was selfless, not selfish, and even if she could never fully understand what made him get up every night and risk his life, she respected it a hell of a lot more than she had did previously.

She loved Terry always, but it wasn't until then that she finally started to love Batman as well.

$4$

I think the whole thing is a little iffy, but I really really wanted to finish this before I completely lost interest and then forgot about it for a month. Or more. :/

I know not many of you are Dana/Terry fans (God knows I'm not… which I think is like half the reason why I don't think this was as up to par with my other drabbles in here), but I wanted to try it out because she's the only one that I could see in this situation.

I think I did okay, but I'm still not completely sold.

Before I forget, I did tons more of unnecessary Wikipedia researching to confirm that:

1) Old Gotham was really the section of Gotham I was remembering,

2) Crime Alley was the name of the 'street' where Bruce's parents were shot, and

3) because I couldn't 100-percent remember/find a good picture of the flowers that Bruce always laid on the ground, I looked up flower meanings and white carnations mean 'remembrance.' Yeah, I was _that_ desperate.

The things I do for you people… XD

Anyway, I'm going to declare this as Complete, but I promise that eventually I will upload **Black** and hopefully **White**, and after that whatever random color strikes me. :)


	8. Black

As of this past Tuesday (May 18th) I have been writing for for _6 whole years!_ I really genuinely can't believe it, but it makes me really hopeful that I can maybe write for a living. Fingers crossed.

So now that my classes have (finally and almost amazingly) drawn to a close, I find that my muse is slowly starting to die down as well. For those of you that amazingly enough have stuck around for a while, you know I have issues sticking on task for long periods of time, but at least I can say I finished the basic colors pretty quickly. After that, you'll probably be seeing less of me because I'll have work and vacation and I get distracted easily. XD

Sorry, guys.

Anyway, I've had this song picked for this drabble for a while now (obviously, you can see why it's so perfect) and it was like half the reason for me to write a **Black** drabble.

Oh, and similar to my **Blue** drabble, I'm giving fair warning to all you Superman fans that there's minor bashing ahead.

What? It's Gotham. Obviously, rivalries are involved and obviously Gotham will beat them. ;)

$4$

_I look inside myself and see my heart is black  
__I see my red door and I want it painted black  
__Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts  
__It's not easy facing off when your whole world is black_

- "Paint It Black," by The Rolling Stones

**

* * *

**

**Black.**

Max visited Metropolis a couple times.

Once, for a trip in middle school. Twice again in high school. After she started working with Terry at Wayne-Powers, the trips became something usual- couple times every few months, sometimes more, sometimes less.

Metropolis, especially after the technology boom, was all glittering asphalt and mirrored glass and dazzling metal. And it was always bright out- sunny skies, painted robin's egg blue and dotted with the occasional fluffy white cloud.

It almost hurt if you looked at it for too long.

Max hated Metropolis. There was something about their almost idyllic society that just rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't like their clean, graffiti-free streets, perfect architecture, or how people would always smile and wave every time she accidentally made eye contact.

Metropolis was just too _clean_.

**6**

Max stabbed the 'Enter' key on the touchscreen pad, watching as the computer whirred and sent out her group e-mail to everyone that worked in the technology branch for Wayne-Powers. Things were quiet in Gotham for once, and she appreciated the extra time to spend on work and having a semblance of a social life.

Not that she really ever did anything with her social life when she got the opportunity. Tonight was being spent in her comfiest pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a marathon of the old crime-drama classic, _Criminal Minds_, on TV Land.

Even when she could have a life, she squandered it on TV and trashy movies. Sad.

The front door was carelessly flung open, but she didn't bother looking away from her pad. She already knew who it was- Terry. It was always Terry.

"We gotta make these people start coming to us," he complained, rolling his neck tiredly as he simultaneously loosened his dark blue tie and slipped off his shoes.

She cracked a grin, glancing up at him long enough to bat her big brown eyes. "What, Ter?" she asked innocently. "You sayin' you don't absolutely _love_ Metropolis?"

Terry flopped down on the couch tiredly next to her, shooting her a well-worn glare. "How many times am I going to have to tell you this?" he said. "I'm the Goddamn _Batman_, and I live in Goddamn _Gotham._"

Max paused, setting her touchpad down on her lap temporarily. "I'm pretty sure that's not how the line goes," she said.

Terry chuckled, stretching out and then quickly standing up again. "Alright, so maybe I embellished a little," he ceded with a roguish wink. "But I am the Goddamn Batman."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smirk. "Does that mean the Goddamn Batman is leaving for his real job now?" she asked, bringing up the Net on her touchpad. "'Cuz you know how Wayne gets all touchy when you're not on patrol on time."

"Thanks, Mom," he said sarcastically, tossing her a glance as he pulled off his tie and began to unbutton his shirt. "I already have the old man constantly harping at me. I don't need another one."

She stuck her tongue out at him, feeling suddenly impish. "Not my fault it's true," she said, checking her e-mail.

He didn't bother to respond, stripping out of his shirt and unbuckling his belt. Max watched him undress, quickly and fluidly changing into the batsuit. The suit he wore during the day was the real mask, the costume he wore to fool family and friends and coworkers into thinking he was the joking, happy-go-lucky Terry McGinnis everyone _thought_ they knew.

He wasn't. He was the Batman first, Terry second.

"You know I hate Metropolis," he said quietly, but there was that distinct gravel to his voice that only Batman possessed. He turned around, halfway out their large bay window, mask staring at her impassively.

Metropolis wasn't right- there was none of the character, the originality, that Gotham possessed.

Gotham was dark and gritty and beautifully honest- a testament to its savior. Batman was a shadow of the city, black blending into more black, a smudge against the night, everywhere and anywhere people needed him to be.

Gotham was Metropolis' antithesis, and Batman was their prime example.

Max smiled softly, ruffling a hand through her carnation pink locks as she watched him blend seamlessly into the nightscape behind him. "Yeah," she said, "I do, too."

$4$

**Black** was fun. Pretty pointless, and I just _know_ I'm going to spark some division about my opinions on Metropolis vs. Gotham, but try not to get too snarky, mm'Kay? Then it just gets annoying. ;)

This was actually a pretty long one, but I didn't really know where I was going with it (which is partly why it also took so long…) and I had to erase and revise a couple pieces before I could get it to fit nicely in the box I was picturing.

My mess is just as much of a jumbled mess as I know you're all picturing.

If everything goes as planned, **White** will happen next. After that, I'm not sure. I was thinking about maybe having a poll? Is that a good idea? I think I want to write **Pink **and **Purple** and then… I don't know.

Opinions? :)


	9. White

Before you guys read this, I want to explain that this wasn't _totally_ my 100-percent original idea. It _sort of_ is, but for the most part, this is inspired by another piece of truly awesome fanfiction. **Lady Jaye1** wrote this great _Justice League_ oneshot called _Parallels_ (it's on my favorites if you want to look for it/read it first). I definitely recommend reading it if you haven't, because it's about Adult!Terry and Diana's opinion on him and Bruce and it's just really entertaining.

Anyway, this is sort of similar to her oneshot, which is why I'm putting up this little warning/disclaimer now, even though it's hardly what I'd classify as identical.

$4$

_Feel it comin' in the air  
__Hear their screams from everywhere  
__I'm addicted to the thrill  
__It's a dangerous love affair  
__Can't be scared when it goes down  
__Got a problem tell me now  
__Only thing that's on my mind  
__Is who's gonna run this town tonight?_

- "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West

**

* * *

**

**White.**

"I do not understand… Who is this Oracle of which you speak? I thought your Oracle was Barbara Gordon. Isn't she a police commissioner now?"

Max's fingers hesitated on the keys for a fraction of a second before she resumed her watch over south Gotham, simultaneously listening on her headset to her feed of the GCPD's radios.

"No, the Commish is still working for the GCPD. We have someone different working as the Oracle. Personally, I like her more."

Max paused again, a smirk flitting across her features before she went back to work.

"Diana, I'd like to introduce you to our new Oracle, Maxine Gibson. Max, meet the one and only Wonder Woman."

Swiveling around in the chair, Max slid off her headset and stood up. "It's great to meet you, Wonder Woman," she said, offering the older woman a friendly smile and a handshake.

"Please, call me Diana," she corrected gently, smiling politely, albeit a tad distantly. "And it's nice to meet you, too, Maxine."

She laughed, running her hand through vibrant blue locks. "Actually, it's Max. I hate the name Maxine. Too formal."

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Max had to resist the urge to fill it with useless babble. Before she could open her mouth and say something she would regret, the computer blared and the police scanner built streaming into her headset began to rattle off a series of letters, numbers, and coordinates.

She pressed the headset quickly to her ear as her brain kicked to life, immediately translating the new information. "There's a robbery in progress at the Gotham United Bank," she said, giving Terry a sympathetic look as she twisted around to face the computer, tapping the keys and bringing up a live feed of inside the bank. Watching the video, she winced and said, "It's the Royal Flush Gang."

"Shit," Terry cursed, and she turned back around, long enough to watch him jog towards the Batmobile, throwing on his cowl as he did. "Diana, you can stay with Max," he said over his shoulder, hoisting himself up and over and smoothly sliding into the cockpit. "I can handle this on my own."

Diana looked alarmed, wide-set blue eyes blinking owlishly. "I think I should help him," she said, reaching to unbutton her navy suit jacket.

Max laughed, holding up her hands. "Don't worry about it," she said, leaning against the back of the chair. "Trust me, Terry has the Royal Flush Gang covered. They've become a total joke since Ten and Jack turned civilian."

Diana's eyebrows knitted together only for a moment, and then her face relaxed to something almost knowing. "He's a lot like Bruce, isn't he?" she said, smiling.

Blinking, Max tried to catch up with Diana's sudden change in personality. She subtly pressed the Mute button on her headset so Terry wouldn't be able to listen in on their conversation.

Diana grinned wryly, clear eyes flickering past Max's head to watch the video feed. "Even when he was in the Justice League, Bruce always preferred to do things his way first. From what I have heard from the new League and what I have seen here, Terry's not all that different."

That elicited a chuckle on Max's part. "Oh, that's true enough," she said, crossing her arms across her white t-shirt-clad chest. "They're both equally stubborn and block-headed."

Diana's vision drifted off, glancing around the spacious cave at all the various relics Bruce had amassed. "It's not just the stubborn aspect," she said, wandering over to the giant penny and the dummies dressed in Two-Face, Harley Quinn, and the Penguin's costumes. "They both possess that unflinching ability to rush into the unknown- in Themyscira, this was considered an honorable trait among future warriors."

"Terry's a warrior alright," Max said with a smirk. "I think that's half the reason why he and Wayne get along so well."

"Kindred spirits," Diana agreed. A soft smile lightened her pure features- even with all the decades that had gone by, there was barely a line or a wrinkle on her face. "That is why I believe Terry will outlast all of Bruce's sidekicks. He is the closest thing to a partner Bruce will ever have."

Max was struck silent, surprised by Diana's speech.

"Bruce and Clark were always friends, but when it came down to it, they were too different," Diana continued, fingertips resting against the glass case that held Red Claw's defunct bomb. "Bruce was never a white knight- he left that to other people."

Glancing back at the computer screen, Max watched as Batman took on Ace. The android was already sporting holes in several places, a couple of which were sparking. "Bruce was called the Dark Knight for a reason," she said. "It's the same for Terry. I don't think he'd ever want to be the shining knight in armor, swooping in to get the girl and save the day. He's better in the night."

Diana grinned, smoothing her navy pencil skirt. "Terry is a good fit for Batman," she said. "His personality may differ from Bruce, but when it comes to Batman they're almost always one in the same."

Max smiled back at the Amazonian princess. "I couldn't have said it any better myself."

$4$

This is actually the first time (to my knowledge) that I have written Diana. I think I did a decent job with her characterization, but I know there's always room for improvement. ;)

**Kyoko**, hope this filled your need to see Diana in a drabble (evenif it wasn't a direct Diana/Bruce)!

I think next I'm going to do a drabble for **Pink**. What other colors should I do after that?


	10. Pink

Pretty much as soon as I uploaded **White**, I started working on this. Some of you may be thinking, _Wait, didn't she post __**White**__ a while ago?_, and you guys would totally be right, because I know you're all smart and I can never get anything past you. ;)

But instead of posting **White** and **Pink** pretty much back-to-back, I decided to wait it out a little bit and give you guys the chance to catch up with me. :D

$4$

_Sometimes, you're the best time  
__I've ever, ever known  
__A pretty girl with a wicked smile on_

- "You're So Real," by Matchbox Twenty

**

* * *

**

**Pink.**

"I just… I'm still having a hard time believing it."

Max smirked, twirling her stylus through her fingers. "I don't get what's so hard to believe," she said, crossing her legs in her office chair.

Terry frowned, leaning against the strong oak doorframe as he studied her closely. "It's weird," he decided, narrowing his eyes. "I think I liked it better before."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, getting up from behind her dark lacquered desk. "It's only weird because you always get weird when it comes to change," she said, "And, besides, _I_ like it and that's all that's important."

He chuckled, stepping into the room. "I beg to differ," he said, crossing his arms. "As reigning CEO of Wayne-Powers, and your employer, my vote counts for more than half, which makes it more important."

Max stared at Terry in disbelief. "With logic like that, it's amazing you never got a doctorate to go along with that huge ego," she said dryly. "And, _not that it matters_, everybody else here at Wayne-Powers likes it. I've been getting compliments all day. Even Wayne said something."

"I have a damned hard time believing _that_," he replied with a laugh.

She let out a little noise of protest, perching on the edge of her desk. "He did!" she said. "He thought it was an interesting look for me." She stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

He snorted, looking away. "I _guess_ you could call it 'interesting'," he said, clearly miffed. "I still like the old color better."

"Oh, Jesus, stop being such a big baby," Max chastised him with a laugh. "Carnation pink was so high school. It was time for a nice change."

"Remind me again how electric blue is more 'professional' now that we're adults?" he said, walking up to her slowly.

She grinned, tipping her head back a little so she could meet Terry's baby blues. He always loved to use his height against her. "I never said it was more professional- I just needed a change from the boring high school look."

"I loved your pink hair," he said, his voice soft. "It was the one non-boring thing about high school."

"Now you can love my blue hair," Max replied with a wink, running her fingers through her freshly dyed locks. "'Cuz it'll be the one non-boring thing about work for you."

Terry snorted. "Not the same," he said stubbornly, but it was impossible to miss the grin creeping up his face.

Max finally closed the short distance between their mouths, giving him a short kiss. "I think you'll be able to get over it."

$4$

Pretty pointless and very fluffy, but it _was_ **Pink**, after all. ;) What else could you expect but cutesy-ness?

I don't have much to say about this one other than its obvious shortness and that only took me like half an hour to think up and write out. I always pictured Max as the type to eventually change her hair color. When you're ballsy enough to dye your hair bright pink, clearly you'll have no problems switching to another fun color after a few years. :D

I don't know what color I'm doing next for _sure_, but **Kyoko** gave me the good idea to try **Silver **or **Gold**, which also reminded me that **Copper** could always be another alternative. Decisions, decisions!


	11. Copper

I have this weird habit of getting ideas for fics in some of the most random ways imaginable, and this one certainly counts. I was watching old _Criminal Minds_ reruns on my TV (easily one of the most addictive shows out there) and I suddenly had this perfect image for this _BB_ drabble that I _had_ to write.

I didn't decide it would be good for _Prismacolor Shadows_ until a little later, but I'm happy it fits here so perfectly. :D

$4$

_This is the good stuff  
__Yesterday's only what you leave behind  
__It's only in your mind_

- "Light in Your Eyes," by Sheryl Crow

**

* * *

**

**Copper.**

She's gorgeous.

Her hair is down, platinum tresses naturally falling in curls and waves down her back. Her skin is flawless, pale and unblemished and luminous, only split by the deep red fabric that wraps around her torso and drops straight to the floor, clinging to all the right places along the way.

Her crystalline eyes sparkle almost in tandem with the flute of champagne she has in her hand, effervescent bubbles catching the light just as much as the diamonds dripping from her elegant wrists.

Her red lips are curving into a smile that has every man in the room absolutely enraptured. Then she throws her head back, exposing the smooth column of her throat as she lets out a confident, beautiful laugh.

She's gorgeous for sure- no one can keep their eyes off of her, male or female.

But that's because no one can really she her, not the real her.

She uses her beauty and confidence as a mask, hiding her true motives and emotions from anyone and everyone. No one ever bothers to look deeper, anyway.

She doesn't know that there _is_ someone that can see her, clearly, even from across the wide, crowded room.

That's because she used to _be_ her.

It's a sort of bittersweet moment, to recognize the pain in those pale eyes, the microexpressions of cool distrust as she regards each person she comes into contact with as a possible enemy.

Melanie smiles, but there is no happiness or humor in that smile. Without ever having known her, she sympathizes with that girl in the red dress. There is a strange kinship in having once been that girl, something that sets them both apart from the rest of society.

Crossing the room, still carting the silver platter laden with more glasses of bubbling champagne, Melanie tucks a lock of red hair behind her ear, having fallen out of its otherwise neat bun. She is the future version of the girl in the red dress, the one that made her all-important decision when faced with that proverbial fork in the road.

Melanie was a waitress, but it was an odd sort of victory because it meant that she had finally broken free from that mold. She was something other than that girl in the red dress, free to live her life on her own terms and be herself.

It was the best feeling in the world.

She caught sight of herself in a mirror, blue eyes maybe a little too old beyond her years but friendly, copper hair surrounding her face like a halo.

After discarding her past and family, dying her hair had just seemed like a good idea. Getting rid of her golden curls was like a final act of rebellion- now, she doesn't even look like her family.

Most people considered going from gold to copper a downgrade, like first place to third. Melanie couldn't disagree more. Gold was soft, malleable, easily bent to others' will. Copper was capable of change, from going brassy and bold orange to mellow and gentle turquoise.

Melanie smiles again, this time a real one, making her whole face light up. To her, copper will always shine brighter than gold.

$4$

This was fairly short like most of the other drabbles, but I really liked the flow to it, considering it was a random thought that popped into my head at 12 in the morning. XD


	12. Silver

So I've had this idea shooting around my head for ages to do something with the old Batman crew, but try as I might the main idea would just be too long. Instead, I decided to pick one old character that really hasn't seen any attention in the _BB_ world.

$4$

_Shoulda known enough  
__Never grown enough  
__Alone enough  
__To know my way between  
__The path I want and the drive  
__And if there's to be good for me than I'd rather die_

- "Old Enough," by Nickelback

**

* * *

**

**Silver.**

Terry sat outside of Commissioner Gordon's office, waiting for her to finish yet another meeting with somebody. Terry really did have a lot of respect for the Commish (and even more respect for Batgirl), but he could never understand how one woman could have so many _meetings_. And this was coming from the guy that was pretty sure he'd be spending the rest of his life in a suit and tie at Wayne-Powers.

Shudder.

The door slid open silently, but the person leaving was anything but. "I can't believe you tried to keep this from me, Barb! Yet again, you're siding with the old man over me!"

Terry stood up, pale blue eyes narrowing as he quickly assessed the situation. The man in front of him was hardly young- probably around the Commish's age, maybe a couple years older. He was a little soggy around the middle, but had broad, wide shoulders and his stance alone told Terry that not only had the guy had some history in law enforcement, but he'd also bet he was a former superhero, too.

Gordon stepped out of her office, her best do-_not _-screw-with-me Commissioner glare fully locked in place. "Dammit, Grayson," she snapped. "Keep your voice down."

Terry's dark eyebrows shot to his hairline when the guy actually threw back his head and _laughed_ at Gordon. She could be a scary lady when she was pissed, and Terry had seen that glare enough firsthand to know to tread carefully.

"Why the hell should I?" he asked. Was this guy capable of doing anything but scowling? The man ran both hands through his short, salt-and-pepper hair, blue eyes blazing. "I have every _damned_ right to be outraged right now."

As Gordon was shaking her head at him, something clicked in place to Terry. She had called the guy _Grayson_- as in Dick Grayson? No way…

"That's hardly my fault," Gordon replied, hands on her hips. "If you quit your damned sulking for ten minutes, you might have heard that there was something going on here."

"Sulking-!" Grayson's eyes bugged out, and if Terry wasn't so confused he might have laughed at how comical this guy looked angry. "I do _not_ sulk!"

Gordon chuckled, rolling her eyes as she took off her glasses. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Dick," she said (so he _was_ Dick Grayson!). "Not sulking- how about pouting? Moping? Huffy? Any of those better for you?"

Grayson looked like his head was about to explode, but Gordon forgot about him long enough to zero in on Terry. "What the hell are you doing here, McGinnis?" she snapped, lips pursed.

Terry's eyebrows rose again, but he managed to plaster on a hesitant yet (hopefully) charming smile. "Hey, Commish," he said. "How've ya been?"

"What?" Grayson turned his bitter glare over to Terry. "Who the hell are you? I thought you liked 'em older, Barb, not younger."

Alright, so if he vaulted over that desk, hop scotched over that fat cop eating a hoagie, and threw Fritz, the GCPD's drug-sniffing German Shepherd, in front of him, there was a decent chance he'd make it out of the police department (mostly) alive.

But instead of doing what Terry thought she would do (which was annihilate everything and everyone in a ten-foot radius), Gordon just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Both of you, in my office, _now_," she snapped, stepping aside enough so they could walk in.

Terry shuffled in behind Grayson, and couldn't resist the urge to growl, "The hell is wrong with you? If you're gonna insist on being a jackass, at least give me the chance to get out of the line of fire."

Grayson turned around and opened his mouth, no doubt to spew something else asshole-ish and rude, but Gordon cut him off with a laugh.

"I think that's a sign," she said, pressing a button next to the door so it slid shut and locked with a _click_. "McGinnis is no doubt the mouthiest of all of Bruce's kids, and even _he_ knows that you're acting like a prick."

Dick glared at Terry, but by that point Terry was so tired of this shit that he couldn't even work up the nerve to care. "You're the new Bat, aren't you, kid?" Dick asked, lip curling in disgust.

"I'm the new Batman," Terry said with a curt nod. "I guess you're the old Robin and Nightwing?"

He didn't respond, but Terry really didn't need an answer. "The Commish has mentioned that you're all kinds of screwed up from Bruce."

"Just give it time, kid," Dick instructed with an upturned lip. "Pretty soon you'll be itching to deck the old man like everybody else."

The Commish exhaled through her nose, her mouth set in a firm line. Terry had never seen anyone so bitter about Bruce, and that was including Tim Drake who had totally gone off the deep end. Gordon had her moments when it came to discussing her stint as Batgirl and later on her troubles as the Oracle, but all over she was pretty acceptant. She made her decisions with Wayne, and she wasn't going to waste time complaining about plans gone wrong.

He really did respect Commissioner Gordon.

"I picked this job," Terry said flatly, ignoring Dick's glare. "Not Bruce. I decided I wanted to become the new Batman, and no one else. I'm not going to blame him for me wearing the mask."

Gordon was grinning, but Dick hadn't stopped glaring (not that he really cared). Finally, after a long, tense moment of silence, Dick nodded once assuredly.

"I guess Gotham isn't as screwed as I thought it'd be."

$4$

SO SORRY I totally flaked on you guys for a couple months. I've been bitten by the crazy bug that is _Covert Affairs_ and that's pretty much taken up all my writing. It's bad. O.o

But I was looking through my unfinished Word docs today and I realized this was already like 3/4s of the way done, so I figured I could slap on a quick ending between classes and homework. I know Dick seems pretty… (to excuse my horrible pun) dickish, but that was how he apparently wanted to be written. Sorry if any of you are disappointed in me and my utter lack of Max/Terry. :/

Hopefully, I'll have the next color, **Gold**, up much faster! :)


	13. Gold

Originally, I wrote **Gold** before I wrote **Copper**, and it was intended as a Melanie-fic. But, I decided that I didn't want to start off with **Gold**, and I when I began writing **Copper** Melanie's character just poured out of me. I completely forgot about the three paragraphs I had started until I opened the document earlier yesterday. Because I didn't want to do another Melanie p.o.v. so soon (especially because I _really _liked **Copper**), I decided to completely switch focus.

Luckily, I sort of already had this idea in the corner of my mind. I know it's way shorter than what I usually post, but that's because it's really only an introspective snapshot than a fully-fleshed out scene. Hope you guys like it anyway! :)

$4$

_So many things goin' through my mind  
__Sometimes it gets scary but when you're by my side  
__The world may be chaotic and the skies may explode  
__But we'll be okay, baby, this much, this much I know_

- "Minuet," by Idina Menzel

**

* * *

**

**Gold.**

It's gotta be around 3 or 4 in the morning, she rationalizes. She shouldn't be up this late (again), but once she woke up from some bright and vivid dream that's now merely flashes and wisps, there was no hope of going back to sleep. So she stays up, fails to count sheep, and instead studies the new unusual weight on her hand.

The room is pitch-black, but her eyes have long since adjusted to the darkness and with the help of the little sliver of the moon peeking through the curtains, she can watch it catch light.

It's been almost a month, which means that she should be used to it by now. It shouldn't look so foreign on her left ring finger. It shouldn't make her think that it belongs on someone else. It shouldn't make her wonder how it wound up on her finger in the first place.

She's not typically this full of doubt. She's a full-grown woman, with an amazing job and friends and the confidence that goes along with it. She is very sure of herself approximately 95-percent of the time- it's a shame that this situation falls under that tenuous 5-percent.

She keeps staring at it, waiting for it to stop being something out of place and morph into another part of her finger, another appendage like her arm or her leg. The longer she keeps waiting, the more impatient she gets, because it's been a month. The way her friends acted, the second the damn thing got on her finger it should have been instantaneous. Just _poof_- natural.

Funny, because the one thing she knows for certain is that this feels anything but.

She flexes her fingers, watching as the gold darkens and then shines, illuminating the plain square crystal set right in the middle. It's beautiful, simple in an understated way, just her style. But it feels… weird.

There's a groan and she almost jumps, catching herself at the last possible moment. The bed shifts as he turns, rolling over and facing her. He's still asleep, might as well be dead to the world, but somehow he's aware enough to reach across the bed, arm ghosting across her stomach and hooking around her waist and pulling her securely to his side.

She rests her hand on Terry's arm, a smile softening her features as she studies his peaceful face. Her eyes go back to that hand, thumb tracing gentle circles on his skin. There. When it's by itself, it looks odd, stands out in the wrong way, but when it's with him, her skin against his, all the scary questions in the back of her head are gone- _poof_.

Max smiles wider, letting her head settle against the pillows. The ring would never look half as good without Terry.

$4$

Very, very short, but I like writing an introspective Max now and again because I like her character. Writing present tense is also fun for me, because I don't try it too often (I'm very old-fashioned when it comes to my writing style :P).

In case you guys didn't notice the metal theme, I'm all finished with my **Copper**-**Silver**-**Gold** theme, which means I'll move on to other colors, most likely **Gray** next. I'm starting to run out of colors, so if I get desperate I may actually break out the old Crayola crayons and see if anything strikes my fancy… ;)


	14. Teal

Hi! I'm not dead (well, obviously I'm not dead for any of you that happen to have me on Alert and have maybe noticed that I've been obsessively contributing to the TV show _Covert Affairs_)… I just get really easily distracted.

Obviously.

But I have a new color! You guys probably won't be happy with me, because it's unrequited!Max/Terry, but I hope you'll take the win anyway. XD

$4$

**Teal.**

_Unexpected, understatement of the year  
__That's for sure  
__Who'd have thought that I'd be standing at your door?  
__It's just the way you say my name that throws me  
__All the windows of my past are closing_

- "For You From Me," by Jon McLaughlin

**

* * *

**

This was embarrassing. If anyone caught her standing there, looking like she had lost her mind in the middle of her room for no particular reason, any reputation as a genius would go right out the window.

Luckily, this _was_ her room, so there was no reason for anyone to walk into her house without her knowledge.

A small victory.

She was being irrational, clearly. But the fact of the matter was, that knowledge was not doing jack to get her out from in front of her mirror and out the door.

She never had this problem, normally. She was not the type of girl to get all hung up on a dress.

But… this was prom. This was supposed to be that one moment in lie when she was allowed to act girly over a dress.

Especially when it was such an awesome dress. It was fairly plain, strapless and floor-length and followed the line of her curvy figure, but it was the color that truly stuck with her. It was bight, vibrant teal, but iridescent so that sometimes it looked bright blue and other times it looked seafoam green. It was hypnotizing, and the more she stared dumbly at he reflection the harder it was to look away.

"Max?"

She jumped, spinning around and reflexively trying to cover her dress-cad body with her hands- stupid, she knew because it wasn't like she was standing around naked.

"Max?" he repeated again, and she knew it obviously wasn't anyone dangerous because the only person not in her family that had a key was her best friend.

"Max, are you ready to go?" Terry asked, hesitantly knocking on her shut bedroom door. "Dana's waiting in the limo."

She gathered what was left of her wits together, glancing in the mirror one last time. Her hot pink pixie cut was more or less in place, and the minimal extra makeup she put on earlier seemed to be holding up nicely. She picked up the small gold clutch she borrowed from her sister and headed to the door, calling out, "Sorry! Yeah, I'm ready."

Max pulled open the door, eyebrows rising automatically at the sight of Terry in his tux. This wasn't the first time she had seen him in a tuxedo, so it wasn't anything new but she always needed that first initial moment to appreciate the view. "Sorry I took so long," she said, grinning.

Terry opened his mouth, but nothing came out. "It-it's fine," he recovered, but she noticed he was suddenly having a tough time making eye contact- or, rather, keeping his eyes above her neckline. "You, umm-"

Her smile turned awkward when he couldn't finish the sentence, so she propped her shoulder against the doorframe and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know, I look weird," she said, keeping her smile tight. "But according to Chelsea and your girlfriend, I apparently _have_ to get all dressed up for prom. I much prefer my sweatpants."

He cleared his throat, his face turning an interesting shade of pink. "Really?" he muttered. "'Cuz I think I prefer this."

Now it was Max's turn to blush, looking away from him and running her fingers through her short hair. "Yeah, well, this is only a one-time thing," she said, shy. "Then it's back to t-shirts and jeans again."

Terry finally got his shit together enough to react. He smirked wryly and replied, "That'll be a damned shame."

Something settled right then between the two of them, heavy and unspoken that wasn't supposed to appear between two friends but had in that moment. This was most certainly not one of their usual moments and she wasn't sure out to handle it.

Repetitive knocking on the front door broke that moment, and Max wasn't sure if she was more relieved or disappointed. She slipped past Terry's broad form, ignoring the way that her body was all too aware of his proximity. She crossed the house, trying not to trip over her three-inch heels along the way. Maybe she could slip into flip-flops during the dance and no one would have to know.

She pulled open the door, smiling automatically when she saw Dana standing on the other side.

The petite dark-haired girl looked gorgeous, as usual. She was wearing one of those pretty princess-type dresses in silver with her hair up in a curly bun.

"I don't mean to be a total pain in the ass but I really don't want us to be late," Dana said, smiling back. "You look really pretty, by the way."

Max's expression turned sheepish, and she felt a sudden flash of guilt for thinking less than innocent thoughts about her friend's boyfriend. "Thanks," she said. "You look great, too."

Tilting her head to the side, Dana glanced behind Max's figure. "Where's Terry, anyway?"

"Right here," he called, stepping out of the hallway. When Max locked eyes with him again, she felt that same odd sensation as before settle at the base of her spine. "Everybody ready to go?"

"Yeah, I think so," Max said quietly, breaking eye contact with him and pretending to check her purse to make sure she had everything she needed- which she did.

"Schway," Dana said brightly, immediately turning on her heel and daintily walking back to the limo.

"You ready for the last prom of our lives?" Terry asked once Dana was well out of earshot, dangerously close to Max's ear.

She repressed the automatic shiver and managed a hesitant smile, staring into his too blue eyes and watching a startlingly similar emotion to her own cross his face. "Probably not," she admitted, earning a knowing grin.

He laughed, wrapping a friendly arm around her shoulders as he shut the door behind them. Something was still there, lurking in the back of both their minds, but it was something that could be dealt with another day.

Tonight was prom, after all.

$4$

It's a little off because as anyone with personal experience knows, this is an awkward problem in any friendship, but for the most part I liked the way it turned out. :)

Additionally, I totally loved my prom. This is the first time I've ever written a fic about one, even if this is before the actual prom goes down.

Hope you guys liked it!


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